SEASON 6 AU
by mmthemesq
Summary: SEASON 6.5 AU (aka Theldon and Michemily are the greatest neighbours and there's shenanigans and hover parenting)
1. Chapter1

**Yes I'm back, and although I'm starting with Michemily and Theldon because they're adorable. This is just the set-up. This fanfiction starts in 6x17 and diverges from then. I'll be bringing A-Troupe and AcroNation in very shortly.**

"It's, her favourite stapler." Emily nodded her agreement although it appeared that the idea physically pained her.

"O. Kay..."

Michelle and Emily turned to leave.

"Wait!" Thalia said. "We should all have lunch together some time and catch up."

"That sounds like so much fun!" Michelle nodded, a broad smile on her face a completely oblivious to the glare Emily was giving her.

Eldon looked between them and smirked. "What time works for you two Em?" Michelle looked mystified.

"You haven't called me that in years."

Eldon tilted his head from side to side. "We used to be friends."

"Okay Eldon, need I remind you that you tried to dance with _both of us_ at prom."

"I've heard about this." Thalia mumbled, unheard by everyone except Eldon who turned and smiled softly at her.

"Yeah, and then you basically bragged that you cheated on us with each other!"

"_That's not really what happened. Oh! Jinx!_" Thalia and Eldon started laughing. "_Double jinx!_"

"What are you both, five?" Emily said.

Thalia and Eldon said nothing. Michelle sighed.

"Okay, Thalia and Eldon, you're both back in the game." Michelle turned to Emily. "That's how this thing works right?"

Emily glanced at Eldon and Thalia who still weren't speaking and shrugged.

"Well we can't leave them to run a studio like this!"

"It's a game for children! They could speak if they wanted to Michelle!"

"Well, we have to fix this!"

"What? Do you want me to google the rules?"

"Yes! You have your phone on you." Michelle gave Emily a long look. Emily groaned and rolled her eyes as she reached for her phone.

Thalia patted Eldon on the arm.

"As I was saying," Emily and Michelle jumped slightly as they heard his voice. "That's not really what happened. I wasn't 'bragging about cheating on you both'. I was enjoying how far we'd come."

They stared at him dumbfounded.

"Since when do you say 'as I was saying'?" Michelle eventually managed. Eldon laughed.

"You know what?" Emily said. "Tomorrow, 3:30 before the afternoon session, what are you doing?"

"Catching up with you two." Thalia sing-songed.

"Is the r-"

"Em!" Michelle said, blushing.

Thalia beamed.

6.5 AU

"I still can't believe you bought sparkling grape juice." Michelle admitted, looking over at the bottle for the fifth time.

"Well we are not having alcohol then going on to create competition winning routines!"

"Routines?" She teased. "Are you easing up on the competition already?"

Emily scooted closer and dropped her voice, steadily leaning in all the while. "It's like you don't know me at all." She sat back again and sighed, shaking her head slightly.

"We need to win to keep The Next Step open." Michelle began. "Do you want to guess what's going to happen to AcroNation, _Thalia's studio_, if they lose Regionals?"

"They weren't a competitive studio before this morning. But, I guess... they were asked to compete Michelle! That's so, so... I can't even find the words." She laughed.

"Awesome!"

Emily grimaced. "You and your Americanisms, I think I'll stick with _amazing_. It is, though isn't it? ...It really is."

"So... to a fair fight?" Michelle offered her hand. Emily smiled and knocked her hand away, hugging her Co-Studio Head.

"_Aw-ww!_" The Co-Studio Heads of The Next Step looked up to see the Studio Head and Choreographer of AcroNation.

"Hey," Michelle said casually as they untangled themselves.

"Thalia was right," Eldon said as he produced a pink potted plant from behind his back.

"Oh!" Emily said. "You brought us a, um, an err. I'm sorry. What is this?"

Thalia laughed. "It's an orchid. It turns out Eldon and I both have green thumbs. We take care of a little garden for one of my older neighbours. Now, we know keeping plants isn't for everyone so with this: one ice cube a day is all it needs!"

Michelle and Emily beamed at them.

"You guys! I'm," Emily angrily nudged Michelle, "_we're_ touched." Emily nodded rapidly.

"Yeah! Thank you, so much. Now I kind of feel bad that I only got sparkling grape juice to share."

"_No don't._"

"_Grape?_" Thalia and Eldon said simultaneously.

Michelle stifled a laugh. "Come on Thalia, let's catch up. I have a feeling Emily's going to be helping Eldon find the one remaining crate of peach juice we have in Shakes and Ladders."

"But," Emily started.

"Because I don't know where it is."

"You'd just leave perfectly good peach juice to go to waste like that?" Eldon interrupted.

Emily laughed humourlessly. "No. The current management hasn't got around to opening it yet. You," she pointed to him, "get one bottle, and I'm leaving triple its cost, as well as a note saying who's taken it."

6.5 AU

"So, Em, how is Michelle?"

"You can ask her yourself when we get back?"

Eldon nodded. "Right, right. Of course! I just meant, what do you, think of her."

"What do I think... of _Michelle_? Why do you want to know this again?"

"Just, making friendly conversation."

"Mm-_hmm_."

"Can't I ask you that?"

"You can. You did."

"Emily really?" He snapped.

She grinned and gave him a bottle of peach juice.

"Peach grape, yes!"

"Yeah yeah, let's just... return to our girls. _Studio Heads_."

"Mm-_hmm_."

6.5 AU

"So Thalia, how are you finding life as a Studio Head?"

"It's different than I expected. After Internationals, and going on tour... it's just such a different pace you know?"

"I know, I mean I, I know it was a big jump from A-Troupe. Part of that was Emily I think..." Michelle waved her hands. "Enough about me. What's your favourite part about being Studio Head so far?"

"Just the dancers, and getting to be creative, and watching their innate creativity, it's so inspiring! I guess I love it all, truth be told." Thalia laughed and tapped her plastic glass against Michelle's. "And having Eldon around as my choreographer doesn't hurt."

"Yes! How's it going with 'a bit of a dork' anyway? You both seem really happy together."

They laughed.

"Definitely! I just feel like I get to trust him in this new way, and we support one another and do things for each other. It just, it feels really great." Thalia sat up. "My turn. Regionals, how are you feeling about that?"

"Did... we were more confident before you placed for Regionals if I'm a hundred percent honest but, hey it's a competition so." Michelle held up her hands.

Thalia nodded. "And how's Emily feeling about it?"

"You'll have to ask her."

"True. So, you and Emily huh, what's that like?"

Michelle blushed and Thalia giggled.

"It, its not like... well," Michelle leaned in, "I don't know how she feels so," she cut herself off as she saw Eldon returning with the peach juice, Emily a step behind.

Eldon stopped and looked behind him. "Oh Emily, I think you left your uh wallet in the corridor."

"What? No I didn't, it's right here." She pulled it out, watching in disbelief as Eldon 'tripped' on thin air and it flew down the hallway.

"Hey look at that! Psychic! That's me. Come on I'll help you get it." He walked out of the room and Emily hurried to catch up, her voice fading from Thalia's and Michelle's ears. "Don't touch it, I don't trust..."

"Has Eldon always been this weird?" Thalia stared at the open doorway.

"That's a question for Emily, they've known each other since they were... little children, I think so anyway."

"Oh yeah! It's strange to think you joined less than half a year before me, wow." Thalia and Michelle shrugged and tapped their glasses together again.

6.5 AU

Emily glared at Eldon as she picked her wallet up off the floor. "Why am I _friends_ with you?"

"Because I give great advice. Like right now. I've got three words that could change your life!"

"El_don_!"

He held up his right hand and counted his words as he spoke. "Ask. Her. Out."

"...What if she hates me for it?"


	2. Chapter 2

"What?" Eldon looked at her intently.

Emily mentally prepared herself to respond but only got as far as opening her mouth before someone barrelled into her.

The man awkwardly righted himself and held up a hand. "H-Hey Emily."

She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, her head falling forward. Noah nodded to Eldon with a sheepish expression and walked sideways, brushing his back against the wall, down the corridor until he had passed them both. "He is our senior dancer," she mumbled, eyes still screwed shut. "My god."

6.5 AU

"What's the Regionals dance you're most looking forward to?" Michelle and Thalia continued to talk as though they'd never been interrupted.

"Not to brag or anything, but our group routine is spectacular! I get excited just thinking about the idea that people will be able to see it in a month and a half. I'm so so proud of my dancers, they're going to kill it and just imagining them up there and their parents or guardians in the audience," Thalia sat back, her eyes bright, giddy with happiness all over. Michelle beamed. "Hey actually, while you're here I could use some advice."

"Hmm."

"Okay! So, as a past Dance Captain who took over midway through the dance season, how did you know it was time?"

"I didn't," Michelle recrossed her legs, "exactly know. What happened was," she paused for a moment and when she spoke again her voice was full of confidence. "There were a lot of factors that were taken into account for that decision. Firstly, Emily had been A-Troupe's Dance Captain for the last two years and around a month; secondly, the first time I was asked to be Dance Captain for The Next Step I didn't even want the job. Ironically, the only reason Kate and Chris even _knew_ about my past dance captaincy was because I told _Emily_ while they were in the room. It was the only thing I knew about her, and I wanted to become close with her, I thought she was really _sweet_ an-"

"Michelle!"

"Yeah?"

"Is this the story of how you became Dance Captain or how you fell in love with Emily?"

She blushed scarlet. "It's relevant! Everyone keeps saying I made this huge choice by overthrowing her but honestly it felt like I made _one_ impulsive speech and everything snowballed! I couldn't let them down though, and you know, they trusted me and I _did_ have a reason to agree to doing it in the first place. I even tried to get Eldon involved."

"So you're saying it's not as clear-cut as I've heard?"

"No one else knows this but I asked Emily to be Co-Captains the day after the vote."

Thalia gave a low whistle. "No holds barred?" When no response came, Thalia continued. "I'm thinking about making Amy Dance Captain."

"Why? What's wrong with erm..." Michelle stopped as she realised that she'd never actually met AcroNation's Dance Captain.

"Simone? She normally brings out the best in all our dancers and she includes everyone, but lately the dancers haven't been responding to her and they've been slacking; Amy is also the only dancer proficient in all the styles," Thalia's eyes widened. "Please ignore that."

Michelle waved off her concern. "I doubt you haven't been taking steps to change that. Why can't Amy teach the other dancers without being Dance Captain? It's a tall enough order as it is. Being Dance Captain always seems to throw up _some_kind of issue you aren't prepared for."

"I lead the troupe on the final leg of our world tour without any problems of any kind at all."

"O. Kay..." Michelle shook her head. "But what makes Amy qualified for the job? And also you don't want to make the same mistake as Miss Kate did and underestimate the conflict between Simone and Amy, especially if Simone is a good Dance Captain!"

"Yeah that's true. I'll have to think about it. Thank you."

"What are friends for?"

6.5 AU

"Simone!" Thalia turned to face the dancer who had just walked through the doors brightly. "I'd like to have a chat with you about the line placements for Regionals as soon as possible. Choreographing three different routines... are you up for it?"

Simone's face lit up and she nodded. "Of course. I'll get started immediately, and we can work out the line placements from that. I mean, if that's agreeable to you."

"You don't have to worry about being 'agreeable' to me, or any of the other dancers." Thalia put a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Besides that sounds perfect! Thank you."

Simone relaxed her shoulders, beaming. "That's great."

6.5 AU

Noah whistled as he strolled through the doors of Studio A "Ah! Where did you come from?"

Emily was stood in front of him, arms crossed. She tilted her head slightly and peered at him for, what seemed to Noah, like forever.

"Ca-can I help you?" He ventured.

She nodded to herself. "Follow me. You're having a fruit shake downstairs with Michelle and I."

"Thank you... Why me though?"

"Because we're concerned about you Noah." She turned on her heel and left the room without another word as he jogged slightly to catch up.

6.5 AU

Thalia smiled as she watched Simone and Eldon work through the choreography together, interrupting every so often to praise each other's choices and mark out the newest addition, or merely attempt to visualise spacing.

She had just finished inputting the final measurements for the costumes and couldn't be more excited. They were going to _shine_ at Regionals!

Now if only she could get Eldon to come round to the O's, she had a gut feeling about them. Her attention was pulled back into Studio 1 as Eldon pulled a pencil from behind his ear and scribbled on a scrap of paper, nodding frantically as he wrote down the culmination of his and Simone's work.

She found herself sitting beside him as the dancers continued to come in. He looked across at her.

"Hey. What are you doin'? Is everything, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she smiled encouragingly at him. He laughed a little at himself.

"Of course you're fine. You've got everything under control."

"I just wanted to tell you all the costumes have been ordered, so now we're just waiting to choose props that we both agree with."

He coughed and gave her the scrap of paper with a flourish.

She held back giggles and squinted as she tried to derive some meaning from the...picture, she wasn't sure, that she was looking at. Her boyfriend was good at sketches, but was absolutely hopeless when he had to rush things.

"Wait a minute. Are those the O's?" She looked back at him, there was the faintest trace of a blush on his face, and a telltale right-to-left of his head.

"Yeah. Well I thought, even if you didn't hire me... let's face it you're _often_ right." He looked at her expectantly, half-smug smile on his face.

"Oways." She stood up, happily clutching the piece of paper.

"Do you know how hard it was to think of an _actual_ word beginning with o?" He whined as she walked away.

"Omazing," she shot back as she entered her office. She beamed as she heard his and the early-bird dancers' laughter.

6.5 AU

"So, Noah, do you know why you're here?" Michelle asked as they sat at a family table, complete with child seat.

"You and Emily are concerned about me, for some reason." Michelle nodded slowly at his response, then more enthusiastically.

"Yeah!"

"Emily didn't tell you why? You just showed up?" He guessed, wiping his hand over his face and turning his head to hide his chuckles.

"Michelle we can't tell him jokes before he admits what's wrong!" Noah looked up in alarm.

Michelle huffed and rolled her eyes at Emily who set a single fruit shake on the table.

"I, I thought we were all having a drink. Thank you," he added quickly, taking a mouthful. "Oh wow, this is my favourite! How did you know?"

"I used to work here, with Michelle, a little over a month ago..."

"Speaking of which. Emily?" Emily looked at Michelle.

"Hmm." Michelle smiled as she took her Co-Studio Head's hand.

"Please, for the love of god, tell me you haven't arranged an intervention because Noah ran into you fifteen minutes ago."

Emily drummed her fingers on the edge of the table. "I don't know what you're talking about." She muttered, hanging her head slightly.

Michelle sunk her forehead onto her palm.

"Yes, okay! That's part of the reason." Emily admitted. She hastily turned to Noah. "Do you know how often my sister... and even _James_, although he'll deny it, would be needlessly anxious to get places? It always, _always_ happened when, well when they were stressed."

Michelle nodded, understanding now where Emily was coming from. "Noah, she's right. Competing in the Senior bracket is a tall order, and I can't even imagine being under the pressure of knowing you're the reason it's happening." Emily nodded encouragingly at him.

"I know, that we were the people who asked you to make this decision, but... well, are you _sure_ you're okay?"

Noah relaxed his shoulders. "Yeah! I, I think so." He stood up and lifted his shake. "Thanks for this. Really, it means a lot."

They watched him as he walked out.

"Do you think he's telling the truth?" Emily asked, searching Michelle's face.

Michelle smiled softly and nodded. "Yeah, you were right."

Emily beamed and stood up, nudging Michelle to her feet. "Yes I was."

Michelle rolled her eyes affectionately. Back to it then.

**AN: No, I don't understand how so much was written in such a short space of time. Fingers crossed I can keep this up until my stories are completed now XD I hope you enjoyed this. Until next time**


End file.
